Consumer demand for 3-dimensional image content has grown dramatically. Content owners have sought to meet the increased demand by converting existing 2-dimensional content into 3-dimensional content. To convert a movie from 2-dimensions into 3-dimensional requires significant preliminary analysis in order to determine the complexity of such conversion (e.g., the number of scenes, distribution of scene length, occlusions and scene complexity). Knowing the these details, henceforth to be known as conversion complexity, enables more accurate cost estimates and allows a better assessment of the likely outcome of the 2D to 3D conversion.
Currently, estimation of the overall 2D to 3D conversion complexity and hence, cost estimation is determined manually on a scene-by-scene basis. Manual complexity determination incurs high expense in term of the resources necessary to make such a determination. No known automated mechanisms exist for determining the overall complexity of the 2D to 3D conversion and therefore, the likely cost.
Thus, a need exists for an automated technique for determining the complexity of converting a 2-dimensional image into a 3-dimensional image.